This invention relates to a semi-moist pet food and more particularly to a semi-moist pet food containing corn molasses.
In the field of pet foods, there are three basic subdivisions -- dry pet food, semi-moist pet food, and moist pet food. Dry pet food contains less than about 15 percent moisture. Semi-moist pet food contains from about 15 percent to about 50 percent moisture. Moist pet food contains above about 50 percent moisture. By "moisture" is meant the water combined with the components of the pet food in addition to the free water added, if any. Each class of pet food has a particular utility and has particular advantages and disadvantages. The semi-moist pet food tends to maximize the advantages of both the dry and the moist pet foods while minimizing the disadvantages.
Within the semi-moist pet food field, sugar is recognized as a major component of the semi-moist pet food. There are many common edible sugars which are used in pet food. Dextrose, sucrose and other suitable sugars are typical examples of the sugars used in the semi-moist pet food. These sugars contribute to the stability of the semi-moist pet food by affecting the water activity of the pet food. Thus, it can be seen that sugar is an important ingredient for use in semi-moist pet foods.
Sugar is now not as readily available due to a variety of economic conditions. With this lack of availability, the economic advantages of using sugar in a pet food have correspondingly decreased. As is customary, when problems arise such as the use of sugar in semi-moist pet foods, research is directed to the solution of that problem. The solution is customarily toward replacement or reducing of the component which is no longer suitable for use. The replacement must maintain the good qualities of that component which it replaces while providing a solution to the problems which cause the search for the replacement in the first place. Sugar contributes to the stability and to the flavor of a semi-moist pet food. It follows that a suitable replacement for part or all of the sugar must provide the flavor and stability that the sugar does at a reduced cost.
Another problem in the semi-moist pet food is that flavor or palatability either remains almost the same with only a slight decrease or decreases substantially during storage. Because this semi-moist pet food is either stored or remains unused for a period of months after the formation thereof, it is critical that the flavor be maintained or increased. However, the best effort has led only to attempts to achieve substantial maintenance of flavor. Even then, some decrease in the flavor and palatability of the pet food is customary over the storage period. Thus, the flavor and economic factors play an important role in the formation of a semi-moist pet food.
Polyhydric components also tend to make the pet food bitter in some cases. Yet these components are critical for semi-moist pet food stability. It is, therefore, desirable to reduce pet food bitterness, while maintaining the desired stability.